I'm a poet and writer living for the past six years in the South Jersey shore area. I moved here from North Jersey in 2009 after the 2008 death of my husband William J. (Bill) Higginson, author of The Haiku Handbook, to be closer to my daughter and family. I'm a mom, grandma, and sometimes poet-teacher for the NJSCA. My work has appeared in many journals, and in twenty-some books (including chapbooks). I read at the Dodge Festival in 2010, and have enjoyed two poetry residencies at VCCA (January 2011; March 2015). Please visit my website:www.2hweb.net/penhart and my blog: http://penhart.wordpress.comNew books: Recycling Starlight; The Resonance Around Us http://mountainsandriverspress.org/TitleView.aspx

Two Children on the Seaside Rocks

To paint the blue sky with storm clouds threatening, or the foreground of rusty sea rocksand pale water held between them, shimmeringwith reflected sun—which did you choose firstas you set out the oils, stretched your canvas?

Or did you start by posing the two children on the large boulder halfway out from shore,their white aprons, soft blue jackets, and strawhats catching the sun—the boy wearinga faded tie, the girl with hand to mouth,

while you, perched farther out on the rocks at low tide, easel precarious, strove to celebrate that day, that place, and your children—possiblymy great-grandmother or great-grandfather— solemnly staring at you through shaded eyes.

The rocks striated brown shot through with moss,the weathered boathouse and dock at low tide, the hazy garments blowing on the clothes linestrung between two trees behind the outhouse— did you know, how could you know that you

were catching time in a sieve, netting the lightfor me? How could you know that you werestroking hope across a canvas, framing it ingilt that shines across a century, inviting meto sit with you that day in gratitude.